# Anyone ever had a stem ruin a cigar.



## lotstar-cl (Aug 19, 2007)

A tatuaje east coast at that. Anyone ever have this happen?It had a bitter taste none of the tatuaje goodness.it took 2/3 for me too see this burned stem remaining when i flicked the ash so i pulled it out this thing was thick about as thick as a 5/32 allen. A few minutes later the flavor came through sort off.It ruined most of the stick though which have been saving for a special ocasion.:hn


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## gwc4sc (Jan 11, 2008)

Has not happened to me yet. Sorry for the bum stick buddy.

Smoke another one and make up for it.


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## Snake Hips (May 30, 2008)

Never had that happen to me, even in a Backwoods...that's odd, but with an entirely handmade product I can see how that might slip.


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## ghostrider (Oct 30, 2005)

I've had a few that i was able to pull through after cutting off the cap, but none that were buried half into the cigar. Sometimes I can pull it out with no problems, but once or twice i've pulled out too much and ruined the cigar.


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## TikiHut27 (Apr 27, 2008)

ghostrider said:


> I've had a few that i was able to pull through after cutting off the cap, but none that were buried half into the cigar. Sometimes I can pull it out with no problems, but once or twice i've pulled out too much and ruined the cigar.


Same here. Sometimes it happens. Sorry about your bad experience, but like Snake says, you have a hand made product made from a plant- you aren't going to get a perfect cigar every time.


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## robofan (Jun 7, 2008)

I've experienced stems before but never to the point of completely ruining a smoke. Sometimes just knowing its there or having to deal with it can diminish the overall pleasure of a smoke.


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## jamesb3 (Jan 29, 2008)

Unfortunately yes on one occasion. Can't remember what it was at the moment. To many drugs in the 80's and 90's.


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## rrplasencia (May 25, 2008)

it's happened a couple of times, the worst was an LG Diez Lusitano. I finally grabbed a cuticle cutter and dug it in there and snipped enought to make it bearable. i was pissed the entire time.


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## icehog3 (Feb 20, 2005)

Had a stem actually pierce a wrapper once....not sure how the roller or the person boxing them missed that.


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## taltos (Feb 28, 2006)

I have had a couple of smokes plugged by rather large stems. Surprisingly both times it was in a Rocky Vintage which are relatively expensive and generally well made. I have also had smokes that have had a stem running down the side where the end of it made contact with the binder maybe 2 inches down and the heat transmitted made that side of the cigar burn through very much like tunnelling. Just the risks of a hand made, natural product.


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## ronhoffman2 (Jun 8, 2008)

Been smoking cigars for 15 years and not once have I ever come across a stem. If i did, it wasn't big enough that i even noticed it nor did it affect the way it smoked. And I don't smoke the ultra premiums either. $2-$5 is more my range.


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## Footbag (May 14, 2008)

icehog3 said:


> Had a stem actually pierce a wrapper once....not sure how the roller or the person boxing them missed that.


Ditto! Stem pierced right through a wrapper as I was smoking. Don't remember the brand,(wanna say padron 64) but I do remember is was a very expensive cigar. Used my finger to plug the hole.

Also, Found a big stem in a DPG Cuban Classic that I wasn't enjoying as much as I should've. Just a bad stick I guess.


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## MNSmoker (Jan 28, 2008)

I just ran into this last weekend, and it was with a Padron 1926 40th Anniversary. After I clipped the cigar I noticed two large stems. The cigar had a pretty tight draw the entire smoke, and I had to eventually cut off quite a bit of the end to get enough smoke out of it. I was a little pissed because this was an expensive cigar. I've never had a problem with a Padron, so I was a little surprised to have an issue with the 40th Anni. With a couple of inches left on the cigar, I let it go out, and then I tore it apart and pulled both of the stems out. I was pretty disappointed. I have another one of these resting in the humi, so I'm hoping to have a better experience next time.


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## AllOGistics (Jun 17, 2008)

I've only been smoking cigars regularly for several months, and I found a stem once after I clipped the end. I can't remember which brand (Padron 3000- I think).


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## Jonabc (Jan 10, 2016)

Unfortunately I have found that nearly all premium hand rolled cigars contain stems, even though cigar manufacturers claim to remove stems prior to rolling the binder and filler leaves. After smoking numerous premium hand rolled cigars throughout the past 10 years and having to remove numerous thick stems from the majority of them, I have come to accept the reality that all cigars contain stems. I have found large stems in Padron 1964's, 1926's, Pepin's, Oliva's, Rocky Patel's, Fuente's, Partagas, Ashton's, Camacho's, Ghurka's, and numerous other premium brands. The key is to find the ones which contain the fewest and thinnest stems, which won't ruin the taste and smoking experience. I have found that when choosing a cigar to buy, first feel the cigar. Usually large stems can be felt by gently squeezing on the wrapper. Obviously be careful not to squeeze so much that you chance cracking the wrapper. The Only way I have smoked a truly premium stem free hand rolled cigar, is by rolling it myself, as I sometimes do. It is a very time consuming process but the end result is a real stem free premium cigar and a truly enjoyable cigar smoking experience. Try it once and you will experience the difference.


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## Metallifan33 (Dec 14, 2015)

Interesting that so many of you mentioned Padron. Don't know if you guys have seen this video 




Bryan Glynn dissected a Padron 1964 and found a pretty substantial stem. I read about it a little and apparently the Padrons say it's not abnormal to have stems. I don't know if that's true or not, but I love them, and if they do have stems, as long as they don't get in the way, I guess I don't care.
I was tempted to cut one open and film it but thought twice. 
I guess when you're buying a hand rolled product, the cigars are only as well built as the people who build them.


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

This is a really old thread but the issue of stems and other items found in cigars tend to be less than they used to be. QC is pretty intense in those high valued cigars and rarely will we find something so objectionable in our cigars...not to say it doesn't happen but the Customer Service provided in this day and age will take care of an issue and one should get their money back or have the cigar replaced. In my days in the 80's and 90's if you got ahold of a cigar that had issues....you just had to smoke through it or pitch it.


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## grapplefu (Jan 16, 2011)

Although this thread is old, this topic still comes up often. Stems/veins are in EVERY cigar's filler. Filler leaves are "frog legged" leaving the upper half of the stem/vein in place. Naturally, thicker tobacco will have thicker stems. It contributes flavor and nicotine content. It also helps create the channels for air flow. 
If your cigar is plugged, its either overfilled or more likely a twist in the bunch. Usually around the band point since thats where the buncher's thumb is. Pulling the stems out will of course improve the draw because you have created a hole in the bunch. However, you will have altered the intended flavor and strength.


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## Cowcatcher (Mar 19, 2016)

I was just smoking a Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 and found a big ass stem.. I had a little trouble cutting the head. You'll know it is a stem when you look at it. I had a horrible draw, saw a got out a pair of tweezers and yanked it out. It did solve the draw problem. However, it started to tunnel... (Sorry about the picture quality... my phone was so shocked it couldn't focus)


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

I've never run into anything like that. .you sure it's not an old pipe cleaner?


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## fimpster (Feb 24, 2016)

I've had small stems in several cigars. None that really ruined it though, and nothing as gnarly as the one pictured above.


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## Rondo (Sep 9, 2015)

The stems are the best part of a Gurkha.


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

Rondo said:


> The stems are the best part of a Gurkha.


I was waiting for that comment. Didn't know who it would come from but I knew it was coming.


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## fimpster (Feb 24, 2016)

Lol, yeah I figured it was coming too, especially after my comments in the noob trade.


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## kaptain karl (Jan 13, 2016)

Yeah had a really bad one on a La Imperiosa. Just had a brutally bitter taste for parts of it. Such a bummer because they're highly regarded cigars and it was my first one


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